Amusement device.



No. 832,800. PATENTED OCT. 9, 1906.

A. MERGER.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE. urmouzon FILED JUNE 14, 1906.

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wgomsawwqm 4/ A fLI-o. ssz,s00. PATENTED OCT. 9, 1900. A. MERGER.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED 100314.1000.

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UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFIOE.

ALFONSE MERCER, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN F.EAST, OF NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, AND ON E-HALF TO SOUTHERN NOVELTY VIRGINIA.

AND AMUSEMENT COMPANY, INC, A CORPORATION OF AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 9, 1906.

T0 ctZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFoNsE Mnnonn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Devices;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to amusement devices, and has for an object toprovide a device of the class embodying improved means whereby vehiclesmay be raised toa considerable height vertically and permitted todescend by force of gravity with a rotary motion about a spiral.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby a platformcarrying vehicles and passengers may be raised to a desired height andmaintained in such elevated position for a desired length of time forthe purpose of observation and then permitted to descend with a rotarymotion, whereby the passengers upon the platform are enabled to observethe scenery from all points.

A further object of the invention is to provide a structure embodying ascrew extending the entire height of the structure and centrally of thestructure-supports. A plat-.

form is mounted upon the screw and capable of moving vertically withinthe structure without rotation and to be moved by the rotary movement ofthe screw driven from any convenient and approved source of power. Whenthe platform has reached the upper limit of its movement, it isreleased, either automatically or manually, from connection with thesupporting structure and is supported only by the screw, whereupon theforce of gravity impels the platform to rotate about the screw and todescend thereby.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a device of theclass described, means for automatically releasing the platform at thedesired height and for automatically governing the speed of rotation anddescent of the platform.

With these and other objects in view the invention comprises certainnovel constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will behereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the improved device in sideelevation. Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section of the device, taken ona plane at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the meansfor locking and releasing the platform to and from the sup portingstructure.

Like characters of reference responding views.

In its preferred embodiment the amusement device forming thesubject-matter of this application comprises uprights or masts 10 of anyapproved height, number, and construction. For clearness of illustrationthe uprights 10 are here conventionally shown as cylindrical posts orbars and four in number; but it is to be further understood that thesaid uprights may be of any approved structure and form and in anyapproved number from two upward. The uprights 10 are supported in anyapproved manner, as upon the sill or bottom 11', and are provided attheir upper ends with any approved form of framework, as the cross-bars12, extending across from one upright to the opposite; but it is to beunderstood that in case of a change in the number of uprights the saidbars will be properly constructed to conform to such change.

Centrally between the uprights 10 is mounted a vertical screw 13,provided with threads of any approved construction and pitch. The screw13 extends vertically throughout the entire height of the structure andis mounted to rotate in any approved manner, as by the ball-bearings atthe upper end (shown conventionally, as at 14) and with or without athrust-bearing, (shown conventionally, as at 15.) The screw 13 isrotated in any approved manner, as by means of a bevel-gear 16, rigidlysecured adjacent the lower end thereof and engaging a bevel-gear 17. Thebevel-gear 17 is preferably driven by means of a clutch 18, mounted upona shaft 19, journaled in any approved manner, as in the pillow-blocks20, and driven from any approved source and in any approved manner, asby the pulley 21.

The screw 13 is embraced by a screwthreaded hub 22, upon which isrigidly designate corparts throughout the several mounted a platform 23,preferably circular in plan and extending radially with its peripheryadjacent the uprights 10. The platform 23 is secured to the hub 22 inanyapproved man.- ner, as by the collar 24 and guy-braces 25, and isprovided with any approved and desired form of carriages or vehicles,(shown conventionally, as at 26.) To prevent lateral movement orvibration of the screw 1.3, a crosshead or cross-bar 27 is provided journaled in the groove 28 in the hub beneath the platform and extendingradially to and slidably engaging the uprights 1.0 in any approvedmanner, as by the notches 29, partially embracing the said uprights orguides secured thereto.

The hub 22 is provided with. any approved form of centrifugal governor,shown conventionally as the weighted levers 30, fulcrumed, as upon theears 31, rigid with the hub 22 and pivotally connected with pins 32,extending laterally through the wall of the said hub and engaging thescrew 13.

The structure is preferably provided. with an observation-platform ofany approved and desired form (shown conventionally, as at 33) and ismade rigid in the usual manner, as by the guy-lines 34, extending fromany approved portion, as from the platform 33.

One of the uprights 10 is provided with a guide-strip 35, extending fromthe bottom upward, but stopping short of the top, as at 36. The platform23' is provided with a locking-bolt 37, having a hook portion 38arranged and proportioned to hook over and engage the guide-strip 35.The locking-bolt 37 is slidably mounted in the housing 39, rig idlymounted upon the platform, and is embraced by a spring 40, bearing atits outer end against the housing 39 and at its inner end against thecollar 11, carried rigidly upon the bolt 37. The bolt 37 is providedwith a lever 42 without the housing 39 and by which the bolt 37 may berotated through one-quarter of a revolution to disengage the hookportion 38 from the guide 35 and permit the bolt 37 to be withdrawn fromengagement with said guide-strip 35 by the spring 40.

In operation the platform 23 is normally at the lower extreme of itsmovement and with the hub 22 in engagement andresting upon the hub ofthe gear 16. In this position passengers are permitted. to enter uponthe platform and to be seated within the vehicles 26 or otherwise. Thebolt 37 is then moved radially outward and turned until the hook 38 isin engagement with the guidestrip 35, whereby the platform 23 ismaintained against rotary movement. The screw 13 is then rotated bymeans of the pulley 21, shaft 19, and the associated gears, and byreason of the rotary movement of such screw and the hub 22, inengagement therewith, said hub and its associated platform and partswill move vertically upward along the said screw, rotary movement beingprevented by the engagement of the bolt, as above described. When theplatform has been moved to such a height that the bolt 37 passes beyondthe upper end 36 of the strip 35 the bolt is automatically withdrawnfrom engagement with the upright 10 by means of the spring 40, and theplatform is then free to rotate upon the screw 13. It is designed thatprior to the release of the bolt from the guide-strip 35 the rotarymotion of the screw 1.5 be stopped and that the carriage be held for thedesired. time adjacent the upper extreme of its movement to permit thepassengers to view the surrounding scenery. When the observation timehas expired, the bolt 37 is withdrawn by the manual operation of thelever 42 by an attendant or passenger and the platform permitted to movespirally downward along the screw 13, such descent being retarded and.controlled. by any approved form of centrifugal governor. (Shownconventionally in the drawings.) When the platform is at rest adjacentthe upper extreme of its movement, passengers may step from suchplatform onto the observationplatform 33 and may remain there, ifdesired, while the platform is descending and ascending for anothertrip, and such passengers may then step upon the rotating platform 23and return, as above described. It is of course obvious that theplatform may be low ered by a reverse movement of the screw 13, ifdesired, in which case the platform will be lowered vertically andWithout rotary movement. I/Vhen the platform descends spirally, it willof course contact with the gear 16 when it reaches the bottom, andprovision is made whereby the gear and the screw 13 may be rotated withthe carriage until the momentum of the carriage has been overcome byfriction. Such provision is made by means of the clutch 18, whereby thescrew 13 and gears 16 and 17 may be rotated independently of the shaft19 and under the action of the momentum of the platform 23.

In practice it is designed. to extend the structure to a veryconsiderable height, on account of which a lateral or vibratory movementof the screw is liable to occur, unless prevented by means of thecross-bars 27, as above described. The screw 13 is also provided with abearing at its upper end, whereby the weight of the platform is carriedupon the uprights 10 and the permanently-rigid structure and suspendedby the screw 13 instead of being carried and supported entirely from thescrew 13 upon its thrustbearing at its lower end.

I/Vhat I claim is- 1. In a device of the class described, a rigidstructure, a spiral mounted upon said structure, means to rotate saidspiral, a platform mounted upon and arranged to be raised vertically bythe rotation of said spiral, means mounted upon said platform forslidably engaging the rigid structure and arranged to prevent rotarymovement of the platform, and means for releasing the connection betweenthe platform and the permanent structure whereby the platform ispermitted to move downward about the spiral under the force of gravity.

2. In a device of the class described, a plurality of spaced uprights, aspiral vertically mounted between said uprights, means to positivelyrotate said spiral, means permitting the rotation of the spiralindependently of its positively-rotating means, a platform mountedbetween the uprights and arranged to move slidably and verticallytherebetween, means connecting the platform and spiral whereby theplatform is raised vertically by the rotation of the spiral, meanscarried by the platform and arranged to slidably engage one of theuprights, and to prevent rotary movement of the platform, meanstically-disposed spiral, a platform mounted upon and to be raised by therotation of the said spiral, means for rotating the spiral, means toprevent rotary movement of the platform under the action of the rotatingspiral, means for releasing the platform and permitting it to rotateabout the spiral, and means for retarding and governing the descent androtary movement of the platform. In testimony whereof I affix mysignature in presence of the Witnesses.

ALFONSE MERCER. Witnesses:

HARRY O. NroHoLs, C. S. THoMsoN, MORDAUNT ETHEREDGE.

